Japanese ‘Light Trucks’ Takes Bling to a Whole New Level

Just in time for the festive season, these hand-decorated customized 'light trucks' take whole families months to fit out with enough sparkle to light up a Christmas high street. Looking like giant arcade machines on wheels, around $150,000 is spent on pimping these gaudy gas guzzlers. The sheer number of light bulbs used means that special generators have to be fitted under the chassis to power them up; however if turned on for more than twenty minutes they start to overheat.

Emblazoned with intricate exterior designs such as a giant T-Rex and giant serpents, when the lights go on, the effect is so blindingly brilliant they are not considered road legal. Nonetheless, when these Far Eastern truck fans meet up the enthusiasm is palpable as they share ideas and show-off their creations, which are decked out just as spectacularly on the inside with one particular interior featuring a carpeted dashboard, wallpaper, and an enormous glass chandelier. These photos were taken during a meet to raise money for a children's charity, where hundreds of trucks were on show.